Lecture 12: Neurophysiology 1

Summarize the three basic functions of the nervous system
Sensory: detects events and changes in existing conditions, either outside our bodies or inside our bodies
Integration, interpretation, information storage, decision making: integrate, interpret and store sensory info to decide whether action should be taken, and to determine what that action should be
Motor: sends commands to muscle and glands, instructing them to take appropriate actions: this is called motor activity

Draw a diagram that shows the basic divisions of the nervous system

In addition to astrocytes, name three other types of neuroglia cells and describe the functions that have been suggested for them
Oligodendrocyte: give support to neurons by arranging themselves in rows along nerve fibers. They also produce a phospholipid myelin sheath around axons of neurons in the central nervous system
Microglia: small cells with few processes. Seem to be the brain’s macrophages - they phagocytize bacteria and cellular debris, and can migrate into an area of damaged nerves tissue. They play a housekeeping role, and eat up neurons that may have been damaged or killed by disease, trauma, etc.
Ependyma: Cuboidal or columnar in shape and may have cilia. Form a continuous epithelial limning for the ventricles of the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord

Describe all the possible functions of astrocytes important in the uptake of glucose from the capillaries supplying nervous tissue
Uptake of neurotransmitters released by neurons modify the concentration of calcium in neurons lying in contact with hem, and so alter their excitability (responsiveness to signals) responsible for homeostasis of ions involved in signaling to be able to listen to what neurons are saying, and to talk to other astrocytes via gap junctions can undergo